


Recoil

by IreneClaire



Series: Various Notions Collection [35]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Bromance, Caring Danny "Danno" Williams, Drabble Collection, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Steve, Hurt Steve McGarrett, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Word of the Day self challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-13 14:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16894452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneClaire/pseuds/IreneClaire
Summary: "Who do you think that bus is for?" Danny asked. "Huh? Who?"Steve blinked as he looked from Danny's blood-stained fingers, to his face, his eyes widening more. "You got hit?" He asked incredulously as Danny merely shook his head while persisting in getting Steve's vest off his torso."Danno? You're hit? How bad?" Steve kept asking even as Danny gently poked at the already livid bruises marking Steve's rib cage. "Danno?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: 2nd chapter is not done; but posting anyway ... bear with me on this one! I'm trying to smack the muse into shape after an annoying uncreative lull.
> 
> Typical disclamers apply: not beta'd, not a doctor, etc. Another Word of the Day "self-challenge".

 

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

 _ **Word of the Day: Recoil**_. to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust.

 

Just as he pushed the pain to the side, Steve blatantly ignored his partner as he hovered around him, his fingers annoyingly nipping at the bit of Steve's shirt just peeking out from under his tac-vest. After taking a few unexpected hits to his vest, Danny was only making matters worse for Steve. With a fiery ache in his lower back, prickles of pain shooting up and down the backs of his legs, it was hard enough for Steve to stay perfectly focused on the dangerous man in front of him while keeping his rifle just as unerringly trained on the guy's chest.

"Daniel," Steve ground out between clenched teeth.

"Shut it!" Danny spat back as he almost too roughly tweaked at the hem of Steve's tee-shirt. Hissing as he inadvertently clenched a bruised muscle, Steve still tried to shirk away from Danny's too greedy fingers, grimacing as a painful heat circled like a molten bar of lead round to his lower back. Breathless from the pain, it all only spurred on his anger and quite frankly, Steve was bordering more on furious.

"Leave off," Steve muttered back as he glanced at Danny, eyes narrowing when he heard Danny tell him to ' _shut up_ ' under his breath. Though it was fast since his partner was on the move, Steve caught a glimpse of tight lips and an angry flash of a blue eye. So Danny was mad, too. Of course he was.

 _Fine_.

Steve took a split second to glare at the back of Danny's head while his partner continued to shout orders over his comm link. Of  _course_  Danny would be pissed as hell at him for getting shot. Vest or not, Steve probably had done something to screw up the William's rule book of proper police protocol and etiquette. But he'd been the one who'd been shot and quite frankly, Steve didn't care one iota if Danny was as mad as a hornet right then; he'd deal with all of that later because he was mad too after taking two hits to his tac-vest.

"You're under arrest," Steve said. He cleared his throat and paused, momentarily at a loss for words. Oddly wondering if he'd already stated that even when Loomis's lips twitched upwards as if to smile at him. It caught Steve by surprise and he had to shake himself out of dizzying sense of vertigo. The man was arrogant regardless and forcing himself to focus, Steve stepped forward aggressively. He was pleased when Loomis visibly flinched, that threat of a smile fading just as quickly to a look of fear.

"On the ground ... on your stomach!" Nearly failing at fighting his lungs' desire to not cooperate and make him sound breathless, at least his hands were steady and his coordination on track as he grabbed Michael Loomis's shirt to tug him roughly forward. The felon was taking too long to listen and right then, Steve definitely lacked patience for the evil likes of Loomis.

"Are you deaf?  _Now_. Hook your ankles. Hands behind your back!" With another deft movement that unfortunately also brought a flash of disconcerting stars to his eyes, Steve sent Michael Loomis to the pavement, the muzzle of his gun an unyielding added incentive for Loomis to stay down. Behind him, Steve sensed Danny before he saw him lunge forward to add insult to Steve's demands by kneeing Loomis in the small of his back.

"I think you  _must_  be deaf," Danny said when Loomis squirmed under his weight. "But I bet you damned well will listen up when your sentence is read.  _Yeah_? Life? No parole? I bet that will make an impact." Within seconds, Loomis's wrists were securely zip-tied behind his back even as Danny continued to chattering incessantly into his comm link.

"Loomis is in custody," Danny was saying, providing Steve an headache-inducing stereophonic echo as he heard Danny's voice through his own earpiece. "I need two units and a bus ... back of Ralston and Crescent. Side alley." He paused and then asked another question, one that kept Steve on edge.

"Does anyone have eyes on Martin?"

 _"We do ...,"_  Grover's voice.  _"Convenience mart ... half a block over on Ralston."_

When Danny intentionally used Loomis's body as leverage to get to his feet, Steve sneered as the felon grunted in pain. No doubt his back and maybe even his chest felt as good as Steve's as Danny ground his knee into the man's spine.

"Bus is three minutes out," Danny said, not needing to state the obvious about more back-up when two HPD units appeared as if by divine intervention at the top of the alley. "Lou's got Martin in hand and our immediate perimeter's secure so HPD will take this joker in."

"Good," Steve said as he backed away, lowering his weapon when the the two pair of uniformed officers reached his side. "Take him. Book him ... I want a full detail on h im at all times. Okay, Danno ... let's go help Lou."

Steve nearly missed the flare of anger that flew across Danny's face when a deep throbbing ache in his lower back caught him off guard. He stumbled in reaction, losing his balance when his vision briefly whited out, his feet shuffling forward as the ground seemed to roll hard to the left.

"Yeah, no. That's not gonna happen," Danny said as he grabbed for Steve's arm only to forcibly pilot him towards the closest place to sit which wound up being an old stack of wooden skids.

"What the hell's your problem?" Steve grumbled, slapping at Danny's hands when he began to ruck up his shirt while simultaneously rip the Velcro off the ties of his tac-vest.

White-lipped, Danny held up two fingers. Inches from Steve's nose, the tips were smeared bright red and Steve's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Who do you think that bus is for?" Danny asked. "Huh? Who?"

Steve blinked as he looked from Danny's blood-stained fingers, to his face, his eyes widening more. "You got hit?" He asked incredulously as Danny merely shook his head while persisting in getting Steve's vest off his torso.

"Danno? You're hit? How bad?" Steve kept asking even as Danny gently poked at the already livid bruises marking Steve's rib cage. "Danno?" When had all of this happened? Worried when Danny didn't answer him right away, Steve tried to stand up, wanting to check his partner out to see where Danny had been injured. And check out just how bad ... how badly had Danny been shot? Maybe not too badly if he was still on his feet even if Danny did look a bit pale.

"Danny ... what the hell ...?"

"No, you idiot," Danny said as he simultaneously forced Steve backwards to stay seated. "Sit down! It's not me!" Muttering under his breath, Danny went back to pressing his hand firmly to Steve's side, just above his left hip. It hurt and Steve garbled out a cough, glancing down at Danny's reddening fingers, completely perplexed.

"What?" Steve coughed out as he watched a sluggishly moving stream of blood dribble between Danny's fingers.

" _What_  he says," Danny grumbled sounding exasperated as he glared into Steve's eyes, daring him to argue any point as Steve finally ...  _finally_  ...recoiled in pain and his brain slowly kicked in to provide the facts he'd been missing.

"Is that mine?" Steve coughed again, still reluctant to believe it. Very much bewildered when Danny rolled his eyes towards the brilliant blue of the sky.

When Danny spoke next, his voice was tight with either anger or worry; Steve couldn't quite figure it out which one because Danny's face was beginning to swim eerily in front of him. "Yes, Steven. This is  _yours_. You got shot and just to make everything a bit more clearer for you, the damned bus is for you, too!"

Steve moved his mouth to object because this wasn't possible. Sure, he'd taken a shot or two to the vest, but Loomis had missed skin. Yet, the evidence was right there pooling between Danny's rather belligerent fingers.  Come to think of it, who knew fingers could be so belligerent? Steve thought to himself as Danny began to chatter authoritatively into his comm link.

As he watched Danny talk, missing almost all the words and mesmerized by the glint of blond that was shining far too brightly in the sun, Steve began to smile.

"Steve? What're you doing, _huh_?  Why the hell are you _smiling_ \--- this isn't funny at all!"

He heard the questions and decided that Danny wasn't as mad as much as worried. But Steve was fine. Perfectly fine and besides, he felt like smiling.

" _Hmm_?" Steve murmured as he slowly tried to focus on Danny's face. Danny's eyes were dark ovals on a pale canvas and still, Steve kept smiling. It was a lazy, loopy smile. Possibly even a tired one and Steve's eyes began to dip shut despite the way his partner was starting to shout at him because now ... now? With the sun on his back and his body starting an inglorious sway to the side, Steve just didn't care to think so hard.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: The bunny was offered chocolate, cookies and 'oh so much' to post faster. Thank you for all of that! But the bunny has been evil and non-productive of late. Still, I'm thrilled you are all liking this little word of the day diversion. My thanks to Phoebe for an impromptu run through and sanity check!

 

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

 

 _ **Word of the Day: Recoil**_. to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust.

 

Steve was floating and he felt rather ... his brain paused mid-flight and he struggled, trying to come up with a word. Beyond the heavy thickness clouding his head, he couldn't figure out how he really felt. So Steve failed badly. Because he was floating without pain, he probably should have been relieved and yet, this half-deadened state wasn't something he was willing to accept. Incapable of collecting a single thought as he tried to fight through a heavy sedation, he struggled harder, pushing himself almost ruthlessly into consciousness with a loud gasp and eyes overly widened by the severity of the pain he instantly caused himself.

"Whoa! Easy! Come on ... _hey, hey_  ... Steve! Take it easy! You're going to hurt yourself ...  _again_!"

Startled and confused, Steve stared blankly into Danny's face, breathing hard and refusing to give up his fight no matter how his chest ached. Leaving his partner with no option but to grapple tenaciously with his flailing fists, Steve was aware enough to recognize Danny and to know that he had an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. It wasn't enough though. Each breath he took seemed too short, too quick and far too shallow. The sensation of drowning prompted him to fight harder and the resulting knee-jerk reaction was two-fold: to get Danny off him and to yank the over sized oxygen mask from his face. No matter what he thought wanted though, Danny wasn't about to give in either.

"No! Leave it and stay down. What're you trying to do? Scare me half to death today?" Danny said, practically rambling as he simultaneously intercepted Steve's right hand and managed to keep his shoulders pinned to the bed. "You need that ... keep it on. Jesus, can't you even wake up like a normal human being?"

" _H'ppnd_?" Steve tried to ask, slurring his words badly while still trying to argue his point by pulling out of Danny's firm grip to go for the oxygen mask. " _D'nno ... l'go_." He wanted the oxygen mask off -  _needed it off_  since it wasn't doing a damned thing - and most of all, he wanted to get  _up_  but Danny refused to loosen his hold.

"Steven ... focus," Danny chanted. "Focus and calm down. You're in the hospital and you need to calm the hell down before I  _tell_  them to sedate your ass!"

" _L'mme_  up," Steve insisted, more confused than ever when his partner merely clung tighter to his forearms when he continually tried to get up.

"Sorry, no can do," Danny said, truly not at all sorry by the stern tilt of his head or the bluntness of his tone. Steve scowled in annoyance, trying to get his act together and mostly failed at doing that, too. "Look at me and calm down ... it's me. You're okay. Steve? I'm not letting go until you calm the hell down!"

"Know it's you," Steve complained weakly as he forced himself to oblige Danny's demands. Breathlessness accompanied by a deep muscular ache finally won out over his obstinacy and Steve wound up slumping limply back to the hospital bed. Glassy-eyed, he blinked back reactive tears as the intensity of the pain dwindled, his muscles eventually lax enough under Danny's hands for him to at least ease up on his tight grip.

"Thank you," Danny said. He made a face as he studied Steve from top to bottom. "How're you feeling? Doc said that you should be comfortable for the amount of pain meds he's got pumped into you. But he probably has  _good_  patients in mind - not the kind who wake up swinging."

 _"D'ctr? H'sptl_?" Steve repeated the obvious, completely perplexed not only by his circumstances, but also by his inability to speak well. He pursed his lips when Danny rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.

"Ya think? What gave it away? Huh?" Danny replied, his sarcasm a good clue to how upset he was and Steve's frown deepened as he tried to remember exactly what had happened.

" _H'ppened_?" He touched his chest tentatively. Everything felt tender; even breathing was hard from the inside out. "Cn't breathe," Steve said next as his voice dwindled to practically nothing.

"You  _can_ breathe ... you can. Just try to relax and not talk so much, okay?"

"Yeah," Steve murmured. Shakily and under Danny's overly watchful eye, he rubbed his hand through his hair, investigating the outline of the oxygen mask on the way back down. Tight-fitting, this mask was definitely different from a more traditional one. With no choice but to give into his body's needs, Steve realized that he could feel the gentle flow of air now as he shallowly inhaled and exhaled. He wanted more but a thick band inside his chest warned him off from trying to take a deeper lungful of air. He was okay and not going to suffocate, nevertheless, Steve felt sick and nauseous. Just moving his arm made his chest feel even tighter, heavier. Instead of trying to speak, Steve focused on his partner, his confused expression enough permission for Danny to offer him an explanation because he didn't recall being hurt - at least not like this.

"You're going to be here a few days," Danny said, grinning not too unkindly when Steve raised both eyebrows in surprised askance. "Scared the crap out of me, Steve. You have no idea ... you just flat out keeled over ... " His voice trailed off as did his grin, his eyes giving away just how tired and worried he truly was.

" _H'bad_?" Steve whispered. He thought back remembering a sketchy picture of his own blood on Danny's fingertips. Maybe he'd almost bled out or maybe, with the trouble he was experiencing with breathing, the bullet which had sneaked in just under his vest had lodged in a lung ... or some other organ. At that thought, Steve grimaced uncomfortably nearly afraid to look at Danny in the eye if he'd gotten his liver damaged. Unconsciously, he ran his fingers over his chest, skirting over the surgical scar, chancing a glance at his partner through his lashes.

"The bullet that you took under your vest didn't do too much damage," Danny explained quietly and Steve found the nerve to really look up again, but now it was Danny who was looking away. "Stupid really. A fluke that it got you just beneath the vest line." In fact, Danny was studying the floor as he continued to speak. "Your liver's fine, too. Thank God for that." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly looking far more than just a little bit tired. As Steve studied Danny's bowed head, he noticed just how worn down Danny really was from worry and stress.

"Danny?" Steve asked, his fingers now draped cautiously over a shared scar which was still sensitive both physically and emotionally. Yet underneath his and no matter what Danny had just stated, Steve's half of a precious whole was now possibly marred by another injury and he winced as his breathing hitched despite the oxygen mask's gentle help.

"No, don't talk," Danny interrupted him quickly, his eyes now boring into Steve's. "Your liver's fine. I swear it is. What did a number on you were the two slugs which hit near center-mass. Your chest wall and your left lung are bruised ... the doctors are calling the damage to your lung a pulmonary contusion," he explained. "You should be fine ... _should be_  ... if you listen to medical advice. And you  _will_  listen because I've already told the doctors you're not the most ideal of patients." He gestured to Steve's face, towards the oxygen mask, his expression now pensive.

"That thing is supposed to help you breathe better by taking the strain off your lung. It stays until further notice. You're to keep talking to a bare minimum and rest ... and I mean  _rest_  ... for a good few days!"

" _M'lung_?" Steve whispered. He blinked still not sure what to think about that bit of news. His lung was bruised? He nodded slowly as the information began to make sense to his tired mind. He'd taken shots just like this before. Probably too many to count and he'd been bruised badly enough during those times; he'd just not experienced something which was apparently this extreme. As he lay there more calmly, the pain eventually even vanished. So like Danny had also told him, he was on a strong pain medication. He sensed he should be happy about that bit of news, but the meds were already wreaking havoc on other things. For one, his brain simply didn't want to fire on all cylinders and now his eyes were beginning to flutter. Annoyed, Steve grunted under his breath, disgusted with his body's level of injury and overall feeling of fatigue.

" ... and chest wall. Your liver's fine ... it's okay," Danny repeated again as if he also needed to reassure himself of that fact. Even with his thoughts becoming lazier, Steve didn't doubt at all that his partner had been obsessing over his injuries. Danny probably had been harping from the moment Loomis had managed to take what Steve considered a few very lucky pot-shots.

 _"H'lng?_ " Steve mouthed as he fought his eyes' desire to close. He breathed carefully in and then pushed the air gently out of his mouth, fogging the mask. Eyes just opened, he gestured around the room to compound the question. He'd slurred the two simple words to an almost indecipherable level and wasn't sure that even Danny could figure out the question until his friend nodded.

"How long have you been out?" Danny snorted through his nose in mock amusement, vainly trying to find some humor in what he was about to say. "You've been out for the count for about six hours. Every single test has been run on you that the doctors could think of and from what I see, you're in really good hands. But, you're going to be here in the hospital for about a week, Steve. And if you dare try to argue that point? I'll knock you out myself!"

"Six ...  _hours_?" Steve murmured, stunned by the time-frame until his brain digested the implications of the latter part of what Danny had just said. Wait?  _A week?_  A full seven day stay in a hospital? Steve scowled unhappily, his lips firm under the oxygen mask, his eyes catching Danny's and holding.

"Not up for discussion. Seven days," Danny correctly interpreted Steve's thoughts and expression without losing a beat, adding a coy quirk of an eyebrow to prove he could indeed read Steve's mind. "Seven very quiet ... non-talking ... fully restful...  _days_. If you don't listen to your fine doctors' advice, then it could get much worse."

Steve's scowl increased exponentially and yet Danny only shrugged which meant that Steve wasn't going to get any sympathy at all from his stalwart partner. Whatever 'much worse' meant, Danny had bought the doctors' prognosis hook, line and sinker. Steve narrowed his tired eyes, risking them sliding shut as they dared dipped dangerously south. He'd have to have a discussion with these fine doctors once he was feeling up to it.

Seven days for an ex-Navy SEAL was unheard of. He'd have to find out which doctor to talk to first ...

... plead his own case

... ensure that whomever this fine doctor was, that he understood Steve couldn't remain hospital-bound for a full week.

... No, that just wouldn't work ... No ...  _Nope_  ...

"Steven". He recoiled in surprise as Danny tapped his hand to get his attention.  _When had his eyes closed?_

" _Hmm_?  _Whu_?" Steve more gurgled than spoke any words as he re-focused on Danny's face. For a moment, his partner just glared down at him in silence, making Steve feel like he was under some high-powered microscope. Not only had Steve's eyes closed without him knowing, he's also dozed off and missed almost everything Danny had just said.

"I heard you. I'm awake ...," he insisted much to Danny's obvious disbelief. He swallowed hard as he forced his mouth to work properly in order to enunciate every word clearly. "I'm fine, Danno."

"Really?  _I'm fine, Danno?_  Did you actually just say that to me and ... you  _heard_  me? You can barely keep your eyes open!" Danny had the gall to chortle at him. A sarcastic-sound which made Steve wonder if he'd said anything out loud about talking to his doctors, but no Danny was just worried again. In fact, he was on the precipice of an all-out rant. "You're going to sleep but before you do, don't you even think of pulling that innocent crap with me! Don't even  _think_  about what you're trying to plot when it comes to getting out of here faster, buddy!"

"Plot? Wasn't ...," Steve lied through teeth that were practically gritted as he fought to keep his eyes open. "No ... " But Steve's lips twitched upwards at the same time because Danny was slowly looking as if he might implode.

"Bullshit ... you were ... and  _are_  ...," Danny said as he folded his arms tightly across his chest. "Are you smiling again?"

"N'uh. Nope," Steve tried to promise even though Danny was watching him like a hawk. His lips twitched again just before Steve gave in to his brief battle. "Wasn't ..."

"You are!" Danny shook his head helplessly as Steve lost himself to a grin, his eyes shining from a combination of fatigue and medication. The doctors would listen. Steve had his ways ...

...and means ... and immunity. Even from overly anxious, protective partners ... who meant well, but ...

and Steve's grin became an all-out loopy smile right before he let his eyes drift close.

"Steven!"

He fell asleep, still blatantly smiling while plotting his escape, all to the sound of Danny's voice. "Seven days, Steven!  _Seven_  ... or so help me ... I'll cuff you to this bed myself!"

_**~ End. ~** _


End file.
